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2002 Gomes
Report 2001
Gomes Report
2000
Gomes Report
1999
Gomes Report |
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CURRENT COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, AND CAUCUSES Representative Gomes currently serves on several committees and caucuses. The Committee on Counties, the Committee on Health Care, the Committee on Housing and Urban development, and the Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs hold public hearings regarding proposed bills, and further research the information gathered from those hearings. The Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence and the Governor's Domestic Violence Legislative Subcommittee considers statistics and cases throughout the state and reviews the impact of current and proposed bills. Representative Gomes also has a seat in the Coastal Caucus, Elder Caucus, Legislative Tobacco Control Caucus, 10th Congressional District Caucus, Woman's Caucus and the Rural Caucus. These assemblies permit legislators to focus on specific topics, generally of interest to their constituents. Representative Gomes has also been appointed to the Osteoporosis Advisory Board and the Long-Term Care Commission. |
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LEGISLATION FOR THE 2001-2002 SESSION The two-year legislative session which began in January 2001 was a very busy session. Representative Gomes filed thirty different bills, some at the request of individuals or local town meetings. Seven of those were for the Town of Provincetown and included bills to amend their charter, fine tune the Pier Corporation and address the issue of affordable housing in the town. Truro had four pieces of legislation: two dealing with affordable housing issues, one land transfer and a bill to allow the town to hold a liquor license for the golf club. Wellfleet saw passage of a bill to allow property tax exemptions for affordable rental property. A bill validating the actions taken by the 2001 Town meeting in Eastham was signed by the Governor in October 2001. Harwich joined with Eastham to file a bill to allow local regulation for herring runs. The Governor also signed a bill that allows Harwich to lease certain land to the Harwich Chamber of Commerce. The Town of Orleans had a bill relative to appropriating state aid for the Orleans Elementary School---this issue was addressed in the FY 2003 Budget and passage of the bill was no longer considered necessary. An Act Authorizing the Town of Chatham To Grant An Easement In Certain Conservation Land was signed by Governor Jane Swift on November 27, 2001. At this writing, at least nine of these bills have been signed into law by the Governor. Bills for the next two-year session will be filed on December 4, 2002. Please let me know if there is a bill you would like to see filed. |
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FY
2003 BUDGET Budget deliberations for fiscal year 2003 were the most difficult of my eight years serving in the House of Representatives. Seriously low revenues resulted in budget cuts for many critical programs across the Commonwealth. Medicaid and Local Aid each account for approximately one quarter of the budget. Therefore, the other half of the budget is bearing the brunt of the cuts. Unfortunately, that half includes Human Services. During the economic prosperity of the last decade, many new programs were developed and exiting programs were expanded. Extremely difficult choices had to be made and compromises reached. On a more positive note, many of the budget amendments I sponsored for Cape Cod were retained in the Conference Committee Report. Funding for Children's Cove, Big Brothers & Big Sisters and the O'Neill Health Center survived the budget process; and while specific earmarking language was removed for some items, such as the NOAH Shelter and Housing Assistance Corporation, the line item total remained the same. Also, Truro, Wellfleet and Harwich did received specific earmarks for community policing funds. The Governor has "9 C" powers to make further cuts to balance the budget and since the fiscal crisis in the Commonwealth is not over, the Governor and the Legislature must continue to look for ways to address the revenue shortfall. |
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OFFICE STAFF Since our last newsletter, there has been an addition to my office in Boston. My full-time legislative aide, Pat Johnson, has been joined by a new part-time aide, Jennifer Souza. Jennifer is originally from Wellfleet and attends Suffolk University. Jennifer works in the Boston office about twenty hours per week in addition to keeping up with her studies, volunteer work, and competing as a power weight lifter. We are delighted to have her help. Alyson Freedman, of Newton, Massachusetts, has served as an intern in my office for the last two summers. Alyson attend George Washington University in Washington, DC. This summer, Alyson was one of only two legislative interns to be awarded the first Arthur R. Lambert Memorial Scholarship. Arthur Lambert served in several positions at the State House, most recently as aide to Senate President Thomas Birmingham, before his untimely death in an auto accident. He is remembered for his tireless commitment to public service, and Alyson is most deserving of this scholarship in his memory. |
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SCENES FROM BARNSTABLE 4TH DISTRICT |
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SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATION As a member of the Committee on Housing and Urban Development, the Committee on Health Care, the Committee on Counties and the Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs, I had the opportunity to hear testimony on a number of significant bills that came before these committees. The Omnibus Housing Bill and the Housing Bond Bill were two of the most noteworthy. After many months of deliberation, the Housing Bond Bill was signed by the Governor in August. It is Chapter 244 of the Acts of 2002. The Omnibus Housing Bill, as passed by the Legislature, was vetoed by the Governor. However, both the Governor and the Department of Housing and Community Development continue to work on the effort to produce and preserve affordable housing in the Commonwealth. Presently, through administrative and regulatory changes, my efforts to include local subsidy (such as donations of town land to local non-profit groups), local funding and affordable housing language in the deed will count toward a community's 10% affordable housing goal. Previously, only affordable housing built with state and federal funds could be counted towards that goal. Two bills of particular interest to Cape Cod are House Bill 3489 and House Bill 3657. House 3489 establishes regional government for Cape Cod, and House 3657 amends the Community Preservation Act to allow any town in Barnstable County that voted to accept the Cape Cod Land Bank, to be eligible for grants from the Community Preservation Trust Fund without adding an additional 1, 2 or 3% surcharge to their property tax. Both of these bills are languishing in the House Ways and Means. Of the many bills that were signed into law this year, two might be of some interest locally. One, now Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2002, is An Act Protecting The Privacy Of Elderly Persons. This act prevents the names, addresses, phone numbers, and other identifying information from Council on Aging membership lists from becoming public. Chapter 107 of the Acts of 2002, An Act Requiring Certain Religious Officials To Report Abuse Of Children, is a law requiring that members of the clergy be mandated to report the child abuse. Another legislative initiative of note was the passage of Chapter 49 of the Acts of 2002, An Act Providing Equitable Coverage Of Services Under Health Plans. Although dubbed the "birth control pill act", the pill is used for many other women's health related problems. It is one medical advancement that has improved women's health so childbirth is not the #1 killer of woman as it was a century ago! |
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Massachusetts Highway Department is a very visible presence on the Lower Cape! The photo, right, was taken at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the Cape Cod Bike Trail Bridge over Route 6 in Harwich. Pictured form left to right: Tim Millar, Chair of Harwich Bikeways Committee, Cyd Ziegler, Harwich Board of Selectman, Department of Environmental Management Commissioner Peter Webber, Representative Gomes and MA Highway Commissioner John Cogliano. The list of MA Highway projects is quite long: another bike trail bridge over Route 6 in Orleans, the opening of the Harwich - Chatham spur of the bike trail, progress on the Chatham Bike Trail (going out to bid in the Fall of 2002 and under construction in Spring 2003), repaving eight miles of Route 28 through Harwich and Dennis, reconstruction on the Lower County Road bridge over the Herring River and the Depot Street - Route 6 and Route 134 in Dennis, by separating it from other pending "safety on Route 6" concerns.. |
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During this session, the Legislature passed a significant new consumer protection law. Chapter 265 of the Acts of 2002, An Act Regulating Telemarketing Solicitation, creates a "Do Not Call" registry within the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. The law is effective on January 1, 2003, and will allow consumers the option of signing onto a statewide "do not call" registry that will prohibit telephone solicitation. More information can be found at their website: www.mass.gov/consumer Or by calling the Consumer Hot Line at 1-888-283-3757 |
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Email: Rep.ShirleyGomes@hou.state.ma.us
In Boston: District Office:
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NEW TELEMARKETING LAWPaid for by the Committee to elect Shirley A. Gomes.
Please send comment/questions about this website to Castlewinds.